Reclaimed Rooms

I am an interior decorator, not an interior designer. I mostly work with the existing layout of a home selecting colors, wall coverings, spacial planning, furniture, lighting, art, accessories, etc. It’s truly an awesome job because I have always been opinionated about decor, but now, I get paid for it. I am a very lucky and blessed man, but I’ve worked hard to get to this point.

Hiring a decorator or designer can seem a bit daunting to some. It has long been thought of as something only the wealthy could afford, but, those days are long gone. True, you must have a little expendable income, but, we can also save you money on items you were already going to buy. As a haggler, I have no problem asking for a

discount on items regardless of where I am shopping. A large part of my job is to give clients the biggest bang for their buck. Plus, we are giving you a carefully designed look for your interiors and introducing you to styles you may not have thought of on your own. People are creatures of habit, and find it difficult to branch out in new directions, especially when it comes to furnishings. This is where a new, professional perspective comes in, one that can guide you into areas you are unfamiliar with.

Think of an interior decorator as a style guide. This requires a certain amount of trust a client must have with their designer. This trust is paramount to achieving a cohesive look for a room or rooms.

My process is a bit more organic than other designers. A finished look with specific pieces is not presented to my clients at the onset, just an overall layout of the room. I ask each client to provide three to five inspiration room pictures so I can get an idea of the aesthetic they’re trying to achieve. A budget is discussed, a series of questions pertaining to likes/dislikes and then I am off to look for items. Once I’ve perused the area (Shreveport, Tyler, Monroe and Texarkana), I meet again with the clients to show my findings. Usually, I present high, medium and low priced options for larger purchases such as: sofas, chairs, coffee tables, rugs and art. Each will coordinate with the other regardless of what is selected.

The client is actually selecting what they want, but it’s just from a narrower and thoughtfully assembled options. The smaller items, such as lamps, accent tables and accessories are usually my undertaking. Clients shouldn’t sweat the small stuff, that’s my job.

A lot of my job is spacial planning; what works best in the room, and how it should be arranged. Sometimes clients have an idea of what they want a room to be, but, aesthetically and functionally it just doesn’t work. This is where that trust comes in.

One of my recent clients was vexed as to how to arrange her cavernous “dining” room. She had specifically designed it to be a dining room but, it was clearly the most visible room in the house with 15-inch ceilings, a huge fireplace/mantle and large bay windows overlooking the pool. It would have been an absolute shame to turn the most beautiful space in her home into the most underutilized – a formal dining room. This area needed to be used daily, not just on special occasions and holidays. With a bit of convincing and a heartfelt promise from me, she reluctantly agreed and so the trust began. I immediately started visualizing the layout of the room and decided to forego the extra expense of painting the entire space, and only painted the ceiling. One of the adjacent rooms was painted a beautiful soft blue, which we borrowed to help unify the two. It was minimal, but very impactful. Blue became our accent color.

“This is where a new, professional perspective comes in, one that can guide you into areas you are unfamiliar with.”

I always select larger items first, then build the room around them. I found a gorgeous linen, nail head sofa at Designer’s Showroom (on clearance), which I knew would work perfectly with an Eileen Gray antiqued mirrored coffee table I’d picked up at a local auction a few weeks earlier. It was the perfect injection of formality into the room, but the rest of the furnishings were more relaxed. A wonderfully shaped chair from Uniquely Yours sits opposite a beautiful paisley chair and ottoman from Haverty’s. The gorgeous 11-by-14 rug came from Southeastern Salvage. The pillows and framed Geodes are from Stein Mart. The gold and brass lamps came from Barrett Appliance, Brigg’s & Co. and Furniture Rental Services and add a touch of richness to the room. The round multi-mirrored piece from Home Again hangs gracefully above a rustic mirrored piece also from Stein Mart. If the budget allots, I love to buy local, original art. The piece above the mantle is by Katie Stevens Lewis picked from her booth at Kings Antique Mall and its perfect. The window treatments are from Bed, Bath & Beyond. The blue fainting sofa was borrowed from the foyer and the Lucite legged bench is from Tuesday Morning. Various side tables and accessories are from big box stores.

My sweet client now has a beautiful new living room to entertain guests, or just relax while watching the children play in the pool. She absolutely loves it and can’t imagine the room any other way.

Myron Griffing is the owner of Space: interiors. He can be reached at 464-6254. Follow him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Space-interiors-128866163790551/.